tkuesdell



L. E. TRUESDELL, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent N'o. 78,403, dated /lfaj/ 26, 1858.

IMIDROVEMEJT IN LOCK-BARS FOR BRIDGES.

TO ALL WHOM I'l MAY CGNUERN: g

Be it known that I, L. E. TRUESDELL, of Chicago, in the; county of Cook, und State of Illinois, have invented a. nen'nnd useful Corrugated Locl: for Connecting Metal Bars; and I do hereby declare the following to be full and exnct description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, und to the letters of reference marked thereon, making n part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a, perspective view of thy-invention,

Figure 2 is n transverselongitudinal centi-nl section of the suine on lines e'e.

Figures 3 and d nrevertic'el longitudinal sect-ions ot` the clamps employed inv holding the bars, showing the manner of corrngnting the sume. i i 4 Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures, denote like parts in both of the drawings.,

.It is found that inthe manufacturing of iron bridges, or any structure where two or more iron bars are to be connected, foi-,the purpose of adding length thereto, by lapping| and perfor-ating the ends thereotito receive the bolts by which the same is held together,the strength of the bars is materially lessened, as a portion of the iron must necessarily be cut away; :ind it is,to overcome lthis difl'iculty that my invention is designed, which consists in corrngnting the ends of the bars in such u manner, that as the same are lapped together, the convened portion of the one shell lock into the colncuved part of the other, Iand are firmly held together by means of bolts passing through clump-plates, enclosing the same, which are also tinted, internally corresponding withthe eorrugntions in the ends of the-bars, whereby the entire strength of the same is obtained, as no portion thereof'A is cut away. i

To enable others skilled in the nrt to construct and use my inventionpI will proceed p to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A and A2, I3v and B2, represent the bars as connected. The ends tl1ereof'are-provided witha series of' transverse eorrugations or channels, formedtherein by sweging or crimping the same when hot, and in such a manner that as thesnme nrelapped or placed together, the convexed portion ofthe one shall lock into and closely llthe conceved part of the other, und nre firmly held together by means ofbolts, 1, 2, 3, und 4, passing through clampplates C, D, and E, lwhich are provided 'with n groove cut therein longitudinally to .a depth equivalent to the thickness of the bars. The grooves within said clamp-plates are tinted transversely, correspending with the corrugntions'in saidhars, whereby, as said'clamp-plntesnre bolted together, the inner sides thereof come in ccntaet with nndngninstthe outer sides of seid bars, which firmly compress the sanne together; thus the entire and originel strength of the bars longitudinally is obtnined, as seid bolts pass through the clamp-platos outside of the bars. Y I

I have said that my invention is intended for connecting bers in bridges, or any structures of a like nature.

It may also be used in the connecting 'pf any bars or rods of iron where the 'entire-:1nd original strength is` desired.

It may also be used singly, that is to say, where only two bars nre connected, forming one continuous bar, or may be usediwhere several bars nre connectednt one point, and ruiming parallel with'ench other, as shown in the drawings.

Having thus described the nature und object of' my invention, what I claim as new, und desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I The corrugated ends of two or more barsof iron, A and A2, B and B2, when firmly held together withinv the comprensible sides of iiuted chimp-plates C, D, and'E, as ttnd for the purpose1 specied.

L. E. TRUESDELL.

Witnesses:

N. H. Snnnncnnn, JAMES COLEMAN. 

